Valentine's Day
by Kira Evangeline
Summary: It wasn't really surprising, that they had no clue what Valentine's Day was. She had to explain it to them, but they all seemed excited. Everyone but the one who mattered. Sans has been stressed lately, and Evelynne wants to take him away, just for a little while. Possible teaser to the sequel for Like Magic, maybe? Possibly?


**A/N:** I wasn't gonna do this. But I did. And now it's here.

If you're a new reader, welcome! Go check out my story, Like Magic, where you can see more of Evelynne, and the budding relationship with Sans!

Enjoy! And HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY ALL!

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It was strange, being here again. Evelynne could only hope that this day wouldn't end in disaster. The dim blue glow of the flowers and the crystals beneath the water was just as beautiful as the first time she had seen it. But now, she could enjoy it. She hoped he would, too.

No one Underground seemed to know about the holiday. She had asked the brothers about it first, watching their eyes light up with curiosity when she mentioned it. Of course, after explaining it, Papyrus had acted very much like a young child, overflowing with plans. He had decorated the house in reds and pinks, inviting friends over for a party in which he'd provide examples of his 'eternal platonic love for them through the gift of spaghetti.' Evelynne smiled, brushing her hair behind her ears. He had gotten better at cooking spaghetti, and even extended his knowledge into many other pasta dishes.

Sans...had been much less excited. Or, at least, he didn't show any interest. While he continued to ask origin questions that Evelynne couldn't immediately answer, he hadn't pursued the idea of spending the day with her. In fact, he didn't seem all that suspicious or excited when she'd asked him to meet her for lunch. It was almost as if he'd forgotten….or he didn't care. She brushed aside the small nagging sadness that had settled in her chest. After all, it was just another day. Celebrating it was a social norm that he hadn't known about until two weeks prior. Why should he care?

Still, when she had explained the holiday to Undyne, Alphys, Toriel, and Asgore, they all seemed excited to participate. Even the four kids had plans. Hell, even Grillby had decorated his bar! She had to be stuck with the one that didn't care, it seemed. With a sigh, Evelynne smiled. Patient. That's all she had to be. He needed time. She had learned so much about him. She knew of his personal demons. She had to support him. With renewed energy, Evelynne found herself laying the blanket out on the ground and setting the basket on one end. Two pillows sat opposite, big and fluffy. This place was quiet and secluded. The waterfalls here were strangely silent, and the one falling in front of her was no exception. The falling water sparkled as the light from the flowers hit it, looking beautiful. Had he been here before? She had only found it by accident during her last trek Underground, and deemed it the perfect place to spend the day. Just this once. Just for him.

Evelynne unpacked some tall red candles from the basket, placing them on rocks around the area and lighting them. The darkness and slight chill began to ebb away into a yellow warmth. It was...romantic. He wasn't the romantic type, really. Sure, he did romantic things for her, but they were subtle. Still, she was sure he would appreciate her efforts. Evelynne smiled proudly at herself before returning the lighter to the basket and pulled the phone out of her pocket. 12:23. It was almost time. She turned off the sound, determined to have a nice lunch without any distractions. They would be back by Papyrus's party, sure. But she wanted to pull him away from the commotion for a while. He needed it.

"Ev?" Evelynne whirled around toward the entrance of the hidden little cave, his deep voice echoing outside. Waterfall was pretty empty, these days. Some monsters stuck around, sure, but most had left when they had the chance. Even the Echo Flowers told the stories of everyone's departure, optimism and happiness recorded and whispered through the empty halls. Evelynne quickly took one last look around the cave, nodding in approval at the setup and the simple decorations. She shoved her phone in the basket and tugged nervously at the edge of the blue hoodie before planting a smile on her face and walking out.

There he stood, frowning in the middle of the room, one hand stuffed in the pockets of his black work pants. He still wore the gray sweater, shoes, and hat that they required. His other hand was holding a single strap over his shoulder, the black duffel bag hanging on his back. Had he teleported straight from work? Evelynne smiled softly. Maybe he did care more than he showed. He usually went out of his way to make her happy. She hoped he really would enjoy it, even if he was only there to humor her. Evelynne stepped out into the light, and his eyes focused on her. The small downward lilt righted itself to his lazy grin almost immediately, and he strolled over to her.

"Hey. Tryin' to hide from me?" Evelynne hadn't expected to feel so giddy. She was surprised when a giggle left her, smile growing as she shook her head.

"Of course not, bonehead! Come on, I've got something I want you to see!" He raised a brow at her tone. It wasn't every day he saw her like this. She was usually calm and quiet, but here she stood, practically bouncing in front of him. Evelynne held a hand out to him, and he stared at it for a moment before looking back up at her.

"You're...wearing my hoodie?" Evelynne flushed, laughing nervously and shuffling under his gaze. It wasn't unordinary for her to wear his hoodie. She almost never wore any other jacket. But it wasn't freezing cold here. Of course he'd find it suspicious.

"Yeah...I know you like it when I do," she shot back, and his grin widened just the slightest bit. She took the initiative to gently grab his arm and pull his free hand out of his pocket, causing him to chuckle and weave his fingers with hers. She led him through the cave entrance, letting go of his hand just before entering the cave. Turning, she looked back at him as he glanced around, taking it in. "It's quiet here, and pretty. I thought...I thought you'd like to enjoy lunch here. Just you and me and some candles." He continued to look around before moving past her and gently dropping his duffel bag next to the blanket. Evelynne waited quietly, her shoulders and upper back tense with anxiety. Did he not like it?

After a few seconds, he turned around and looked at her with a gentle expression, causing her to sigh in relief. He was okay with it. Good. Now her plan could be put into action. Evelynne stepped forward and smiled at him, gently resting her hands on his shoulders and slowly leaning in the press a soft kiss against his cheekbone.

"Take a seat and get comfortable, okay?" He chuckled, pulling away from her.

"You tryin' to distract me?" Evelynne smiled at the question, but it was sad. His own grin faltered just the slightest bit, but held firm.

"Maybe," she whispered, before turning and moving away slightly. She waited for him to situate himself on the blanket, leaning against a pillow and getting comfortable before he threaded his fingers together and rested his hands over his stomach. Of course, he lacked one, and so the gray sweater dipped toward his spine and threatened to be pulled out from where it was tucked into his pants. She smiled at him, bringing her hands up to the zipper of his hoodie before she stopped, watching his eyes light up. "Don't get too excited. We're not here for...activities." She said, smiling gently at him. He chuckled, but didn't respond. She felt a little sad, having hoped he would crack a pun. Patience. One step at a time. Evelynne felt her face heat up as she pulled the zipper down, pushing off the blue hoodie before gently laying it next his duffle bag. "Well, what do you think?" Sans stared at her blankly, and her stomach dropped. Oh no. She looked stupid.

She had never liked dressed. She thought they were showy. But months ago, Sans had mused about how she would look in one, expressing his desire to see her in one, one day. So, she decided to grant his wish. The dress was red and sleeveless, leaving her shoulders, neck, and collarbone bear for him to see, with only two thin strings wrapping up to tie around the back of her neck in a bow. It had a sweetheart shape in the front, exposing a bit of her cleavage, but sat firm against her. The soft, solid material fit her body shape before flaring out into a wavy skirt that ended mid thigh. It had been slightly bunched up to stay concealed by his hoodie, and she smoothed it out as she watched him anxiously. Her black leggings were thin, leading down to flat black dress shoes that she always saved for formal occasions. Overall, she had left the house that morning feeling exposed, but pretty. Now, though, his lack of reaction was making her anxious. She hadn't done anything great with her hair. It was wrapped into a tight bun on her head. She didn't like wearing makeup...maybe he didn't like that. Maybe she should have put on some red lipstick and eyeliner, or jewelry. She'd look pretti-

"You're beautiful." Evelynne gasped as her anxious thoughts were cut off. Despite the blank grin on his face, the tone of his voice was...she couldn't place it. It was so...raw. He wasn't pushing anything away, when he said that. Evelynne's face broke out into a huge smile.

"You...you think so? I was worried that maybe this c-color wouldn't work and-"

"Come here." Evelynne smiled nervously as he opened his arms toward her, and she almost went over, but she shook her head.

"No! No. Not yet, Sans. We can cuddle after lunch!" She said brightly, suddenly feeling more confident. His grin fell a little, and he shrugged. She held firm onto her decision, though, walking over to sit next to him. She pulled the basket over to them, opening it up.

The food she brought wouldn't be her first choice for a romantic lunch, but she knew he loved it. He hasn't been to his favorite restaurant very much in the past few months. He hadn't really done anything normal at all, actually. But she knew he still loved it. She pulled out two carefully wrapped burgers from Grillby's, still wonderfully warm in her hand. She handed one to him, watching as his expression shifted just slightly.

"Grillby's?"

"I figured you'd like something familiar," she explained, watching as he smiled at her. It was small, but she could read him so easily, now. They had spent so much time together, and she had made sure to learn his expressions. Even the slightest change could tell her a thousand things, if she was carefully enough. Evelynne leaned forward and pulled out a container of fries to share before she pulled out a bottle of ketchup.

It had been hard, watching his change. The problems with the humans, his insecurities and nightmares, and the stress of dealing with the authorities….he was tired. She knew he was falling deeper into his depression, but she could do something about it, now that she was free. She was with him. She could help him. She owed it to him...

Halfway through their quiet meal, Evelynne pulled out two champagne flutes and a bottle, looking over at him with a grin.

"Champagne?" He looked at it warily, and she giggled. He had recently tried wine for the first time, and had been surprised at how much he liked it. But she hadn't been prepared for how easily he could get drunk. In fact, she had been entirely surprised to find that monsters could get drunk at all. Alphs was working on that. Needless to say, he was careful with alcohol, now.

"I'm not sure."

"Here, try some of mine," she said patiently, pouring some of the sweet liquid into a glass and handing it to him. He seemed to observe it with curiosity and caution for a minute before tipping the glass and sipping from it, his teeth parting slightly to allow the passage.

"This...isn't like the wine, is it?" Evelynne laughed, his sheepish expression looking way too cute. Her heart nearly burst. Little glimpses of this part of him always made her feel so accomplished. Her was there, somewhere. Under the mess of emotions and exhaustion.

"No, don't worry. We're only having a little bit." Evelynne poured her own glass, setting it down on the ground beside her and wrapping the rest of her food. She still didn't eat much. It worried him and their friends, but she had lived on small portions her entire life. He watched her put her food back into the basket carefully, as if debating whether or not to bring it up again, but decided to stay silent as he finished his own food. It was so peaceful, and Evelynne leaned back against the pillow, waiting patiently. He would talk when he wanted to. There was no rush. The party wasn't until five. If he teleported them back, they wouldn't even have to leave until four thirty.

Evelynne was comfortable, next to him. She always slept the best when they shared the bed, knowing they would be there for each other should anything happen. He frequently had nightmares, and she constantly worried she wouldn't be there to wake him up, if she wasn't beside him. Regardless of his scolding her. 'It's dangerous,' he'd say. 'I have no control over my magic,' he'd warn her. But she couldn't leave him alone. She breathed in for a sigh, but was forced forward instead as she coughed, her lungs expressing their displeasure for the harsh intake of air. She felt his hand come up to rest on her back as she coughed, but the attack didn't last long. She sent him an apologetic smile, though the concern on his face warmed her heart. He was so good to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, his hand rubbing soothing circles against the exposed skin.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." She waved his concern away, despite the fact that she knew he hated it. Instead, she leaned forward away from his touch, a smile settling on her lips. "Hey, I got you something." She looked over her shoulder to take in his curious gaze, one brow raised.

"Oh yeah?"

"Uh huh!" She dug into the basket, pushing away the food wrappers and champagne bottle until she pulled out a red box. It was the size of a book, and pretty heavy. She held it out for him with excitement, and he took it from her gingerly.

"A book?" He asked, and Evelynne pushed it closer to him until it bumped against his ribs.

"Open it!" She sat with her legs folded beneath her now, looking at him with so much excitement he was forced to chuckle.

"Okay, okay. No need to break my bones here." He joked, and Evelynne beamed. It wasn't the best, but he made an attempt. He carefully unwrapped it as she was a vibrating ball of anticipation, and she took the useless box and bow from him, shoving it into the basket as he ran a hand over the cover. It was a brown leather cover, his name written on the front in beautiful calligraphy. It had cost her a lot of money to custom order the book and have it delivered, but she was more than willing to buy such a gift for him.

"Open it!" She whispered, trying not to tell him what to do, but nearly dying with anticipation. He looked up at her, amused at her excitement before looking back down and carefully pulling the cover open.

It was a photo album. Evelynne knew he had a makeshift one, and so she left the first four pages blank for him. He looked up at her with a questioning gaze, and she leaned forward to flip a few pages in, where the photos started. That's when his eyes widened. She had been taking photos of everything. Every time they were out together, with friends or alone, doing something memorable. Page after page of pictures, and room for hundreds more. Pictures of their first moment out of the Underground. Pictures of their day at the beach with Undyne, Alphys, and Papyrus. Pictures of the day he picked her up from the hospital. There were pictures of him riding a motorcycle, and her on the back with an arm around him, waving goodbye to Toriel and Frisk. Pictures of the stars that they had seen together while camping with the kids and Papyrus. She put pictures of just Papyrus and her, cooking in the kitchen or singing karaoke in the livingroom. Her friends had done her a huge favor by helping her take these photos, but she would worry about paying them back later. He flipped through the pages, and the expressions on his face...Pain, sadness, happiness, amusement, wonder. All there for her to see. It was like he was reliving every moment there in front of her, and she was loathe to pull him out of it, but she knew that crease in his brow.

"The empty pages in the front are for you to fill with any old photos you have, or some people like to keep letters and notes in there as well. And there is a ton of empty space in the back. We can fill it with a bunch more photos." He looked up at her, an indescribable expression on his face. "When we fill that book, we can get another, and another, and another. We can arrange them however you like. They're all yours. You can look at them whenever you want." Evelynne tried not to look away. He looked so...grateful? No. Not quite. It was so raw. There was so much to be interpreted. But she was only able to observe it for a moment. He closed the book and gently laid it down, not meeting her gaze before she heard him sigh.

"I...what I got you...isn't nearly as…" Evelynne tilted her head. He had bought her a gift? She hadn't expected that. He didn't seem interested in the idea.

"Whatever you got me, I'll love it. Because it's from you," she said, smiling at him. He looked over at her briefly before using his magic to pull over the duffle bag. Evelynne watched with curiosity as he unzipped it and pulled out a small red box, complete with a tiny bow. It was something you'd find at a store, and Evelynne smiled. There was a high chance he didn't order it, and instead went to the mall to get it. She didn't worry about him, with the humans. He could easily protect himself and teleport out of any situation, but still. Dealing with the hateful groups was stressful, and more trouble than Sans generally cared for. He held it out for her to take, and she did so gingerly, allowing her hands to cup his and her fingers to brush against his bones as she slid it from his grasp. She smiled down at the box as she opened it, not expecting what was inside. Her jaw dropped as she took in the necklace, mouth working without sound. She gingerly touched the pendant, feeling tears burn at her eyes. It was a beautiful silver necklace, with a silver heart. Inside of the setting was silver and blue crystal stones, shining at every flicker of light from the candles. It was beautiful.

"Is it...?" She couldn't finish her question, still staring down at it.

"Real? Yeah. It, uh, was pretty expensive….but, well...look inside of it…" Evelynne looked up at him with confusion before examining the necklace closer. It was a locket. The one her brother had given her had broke several weeks ago, and she had nearly cried for the entire day. She gently opened the heart up, and immediately burst into tears. There were three parts to the inside. The front, the middle, and the back. She looked at the first two pictures. The first two were the photos from the old locket. It was a picture of her and her brother together as children, playing in the backyard, while the second was a picture of Alex when he graduated high school. She flipped the middle piece, smiling at the last two pictures. The one of the left was a tiny group picture they had all taken immediately upon leaving the underground, just barely small enough to fit into the locket. And the last…

Evelynne didn't remember this picture being taken. Obviously, it must have been taken by someone else. Sans was as sneaky as she was, it seemed. It was a picture of them cuddling on the couch at their new home above ground. She was wrapped in his arms, and his chin was resting on top of her head. He must have just finished telling her a good joke, because she had a huge smile on her face, eyes squinting in her laughter. His pupils shined as he looked down at her in the photo, a genuine grin on his face.

"Do you...like it?" Evelynne sucked in a breath, closing the locket and gingerly placing it beside her before she pounced forward and tackled him in a tight hug, ignoring the pain as her right wrist became trapped underneath him. She nuzzled her face into his bony shoulder, letting her tears fall freely. That was, by far, the most thoughtful gift she'd ever received.

"I love it," she assured him, laughing lightly as he sighed in what she assumed was relief. His arms had secured themselves around her, and he shifted slightly until he was leaning against the pillow, still holding her in his arms. She felt him press his teeth against her shoulder before resting his chin there. They stayed like that for a few minutes, sitting in silence. Occasionally she would feel him grip her just the slightest bit, his fingers digging into her ribs and her hip, before almost immediately letting go. It was something he did, lately. Almost as if he couldn't believe she was there. She turned her head, kissing his jaw. "It's been almost a year, you know." She muttered, hoping to ease his worries. He was always worried. Even though they'd fixed it.

"I know," he muttered back, strengthening his hold on her. "Thank you." She smiled, sighing gently to avoid another coughing fit. She didn't want to worry him anymore than he already was.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sans." She said, squeezing him just the slightest bit.

"Happy Valentine's Day."

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I hope you liked it! Don't forget to leave a review! Check out my tumblr (found on my profile) for updates/bored reblogging/possible future fan art by some wonderful readers!

ILYA!


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